~$1000 Binoculars poll (1 Viewer)

[qwerty5]

Since the Alpha binoculars poll got a good response, I decided to start a poll for $1000 bins. I'm guessing this will get an even better response since these bins are more affordable. I expect this to be a close contest between Zeiss Conquest and Nikon Monarch HG. Vote for the binocular that you like using the best.

 

[qwerty5]

If you know of others that should be in this poll let me know, I can add two more options

 

[dries1]

The Meostar B1 used to be a $1000 glass, between that and the Nikon Monarch Hg one cannot go wrong.

 

[Highway Dog]

I thought that kowa genesis 8.5x44 is more established than a couple of the names. It is my favorite!
Rob. --- I am "other" .

 

[qwerty5]

I thought that kowa genesis 8.5x44 is more established than a couple of the names. It is my favorite!
Rob. --- I am "other" .

It costs $1,300 though, so I didn't think it really qualified.

 

[dries1]

Goes to show that thee so many glass available in the $400 - $700 range, the $1000 mark seems to be minimal, then as one goes over say $1100 well it opens up again with many a choice. I think you have the major players in that range on your list.

 

[Maljunulo]

Are you proposing $1,000 as an upper limit, or as the center of a range with $200 or $300 either side?

 

[qwerty5]

Are you proposing $1,000 as an upper limit, or as the center of a range with $200 or $300 either side?

I was meaning it as a general product range where the binoculars compete against each other. $1000 is the street price of most of the bins on my list, but Tract Toric and Maven B1 compete against these bins as well even though they are $200-$300 less.

 

[Maljunulo]

I was meaning it as a general product range where the binoculars compete against each other. $1000 is the street price of most of the bins on my list, but Tract Toric and Maven B1 compete against these bins as well even though they are $200-$300 less.

Thank you, I was just looking for clarification, not trying to bust your stones.

 

[qwerty5]

The results so far are not quite what I expected. I expected the Nikon and Zeiss to do well, but I expected the others (especially the Leica) to get more votes than they have. The Trinovids have 2 and the rest all have one, I anticipated more.

 

[lmans66]

The Meostar B1 used to be a $1000 glass, between that and the Nikon Monarch Hg one cannot go wrong.

Ditto.....Meostar B1 or B1.1

 

[qwerty5]

The Conquests and Monarchs are tied at 13 votes, with 20 days left to vote. The popularity of these two is amazing compared to the rest of the pack. It looks like the Razors pulled away from the one-vote group.

 

[albie...]

When I bought my Monarch HG 8x42 it was between the Monarch and the Conquest . The Monarch ticked off more boxes for me . I have had the Monarch for 6 months now and the relationship between me and the bin just gets stronger.

 

[qwerty5]

When I bought my Monarch HG 8x42 it was between the Monarch and the Conquest . The Monarch ticked off more boxes for me . I have had the Monarch for 6 months now and the relationship between me and the bin just gets stonger.

If I was to buy any of the bins on this list sight unseen, it would be the Monarch HG

 

[lmans66]

The one problem with the MHG is the quickness to focus on the focus wheel. Very slow...perhaps it would loosen up via time, but in my 'feel' it was slower than most bins on the market. I found it frustrating to attempt to focus on a bird and have the bird escape me before I could focus on the bird. I still feel the Meostar's B.1 is the best. If you want a quick focus wheel though, look at the Conquest. But in my evaluation, I ruled out the Conquest on bulkiness although still a great bin.

 

[Ontario]

The one problem with the MHG is the quickness to focus on the focus wheel. Very slow...perhaps it would loosen up via time, but in my 'feel' it was slower than most bins on the market. I found it frustrating to attempt to focus on a bird and have the bird escape me before I could focus on the bird. I still feel the Meostar's B.1 is the best. If you want a quick focus wheel though, look at the Conquest. But in my evaluation, I ruled out the Conquest on bulkiness although still a great bin.

The x30 models are faster

From Canip's review "The focus wheel turns smoothly and very similarly to the bigger model, but with a much higher transmission ratio: on the 8×42, focusing from 3m to infinite requires a 110 degree turn, on the 8×30 only a 60 degree turn. There seems ample travel of the focus wheel beyond infinity.

Compared to the

Zeiss Conquest HD:
The HD is bigger and heavier. Same eye relief, with 140m not far behinf the HG, similarly “fast” focusing Good brightness in the Zeiss, but for my eyes, central sharpness and contrast are better in the Nikon, and the edge sharpness is much better in the Nikon."

Nikon Monarch HG 8×30 – Binoculars Today

 

[wdc]

I've owned several of the bins on the survey list. Still own 4 of them. I had a Tract Toric for awhile, but found that the minimum IPD range was just a tad greater than my perpetually slightly crossed eye could endure for a lengthy period. I also found the focuser to be overly stiff. They went to my brother in law, who enjoys them to this day.

For size, performance, and handling I found the MHG 8x42 to be top notch. Generous field of view and a smooth focuser. My personal nit with that one is just that the eye relief keeps me from seeing the entire field by a slim margin, with my glasses on.

The 8x42 Conquest HD is another fine bin. Many have complemented the fast and smooth focus of that model, which I agree with. Eye relief also fits me well, but unfortunately not for the 8x32 model. FOV and AFOV on the 8x42 are a bit constrained by design, and it weighs a few oz. more than the Nikon.

Another sleeper is the Trinovid HD 8x32, which was an impulse buy at a shop while on vacation. Great ease of view and handling. Though I keep the eyecups cranked down for my glasses, the HD eyecups are impressive to twist up and down with numerous clicking detents along the way. I even liked the little wetsuit case it came in for carrying it unobtrusively over the shoulder around a city, and visiting museums, where the excellent close focus allowed one views of painting details. The FOV and AFOV are a little less than one might wish for (same as the 8x42, btw), but it is a pleasure to use this binocular when one is simply putting it to the task at hand.

Any of these three could very well be an 'only' binocular for an individual, but the 4th turned out to fill a specific niche better than the others. That one is the Nikon MHG 8x30. In spite of being rather poorly reviewed by Allbinos, it nonetheless checks numerous boxes for me in terms of size, weight, and performance, making it an ideal travel bin, casual use, grab and go, however you want to put it. When I go out painting, that is my go to bin for the occasional birds that inevitably distract me. As such it gets thrown in the pack, and has a fair amount of pastel dust on the barrels (not the optics, which are well protected). That one gets used by me every week, and is always out of the bag, and on the counter somewhere.

The ~$1000 price is a worthwhile range to sample from, with some excellent products suited to individuals varying needs and preferences.

-Bill

 

[dorubird]

This is a well known smart advertisement, but I'm sure it's not far from reality. Some binoculars seem to break if you only squeeze them harder in your hands. This Conquest is a spartan binoculars. Not very stylish design like Trinovid and HG but much more harduty and durable. For the image quality I would say that Conquest keeps its very strong character as well. It has a brutal resolution and a higher light transmission than Nikon and Leica, but duller and cooler colors and slightly lower contrast. Everyone can choose according to their personal preferences and it is good that we have options to choose from

 

[qwerty5]

And the votes are in. Zeiss Conquest (18 votes) edged out the Nikon Monarchs (16) for 1st place, while the Leica Trinovids (5) finished a distant 3rd, the Vortex Razors (2) 4th, and all the rest tied at 5th place with one vote each.

 

[DrewskiMT]

If I was to buy any of the bins on this list sight unseen, it would be the Monarch HG

Now that I have done that with both the HG in 8x42 and the Conquest in 8x32, I would heartily recommend both purchases to Anyone in need of "purchased sight unseen" magnified binocular vision. I would also say that I appreciate the larger size of the 8x32 Conquest body, as I find it easier to hold with less hand shake than smaller and lighter Opticron Travelers(which at 1 pound are better for backpacking and fast long hikes), and I have small fingers/hands by the way. Still looking forward to sampling Maven B2 9x45, Opticron Aurora, and Leica Trinovids. Spoilt for choice!